2J INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY
5.5 ANAl.VSIS OF THE HA-MATAlA DEVELOPMENT
A more substantial analysis of the study area comes under this subheading and subsequent sub- subheadings. Invasion that occurred in Phase 1 differs slightly from the one that occurred in Phase 2 in the sense that, in Phase 2 field owners destroyed the plan completely by ploughing the land after it had been subdivided and serviced. They then re-subdivided and allocated it to preferred individuals. Despite this, the LHLDC could still allocate its clients according to the
plan in some places (see Map 2, Phase 3). While both phases have similar problems at the design level, Phase 2 is also clouded with political problems, which this study will not address.
5.5.1 The Original Layout 5.5.1.1 Introduction
According to the original layout plan, the study area has a total number of 821 sites, 396 in Phase 1 and 425 in Phase 2. Inaddition, there are 7 spaces provided for public facilities such as civic and community centres, schools and cemeteries. Ithas 5 open spaces, a space for town housing and 20 plots for business. The area is also provided with water, electricity and road services. Itis served by the national road (Main South 1), which divides the two phases, and connects the airport to the CBD and Lesotho to South Africa. Refer to Maps 1.
Currently, there are roughly 43 plots including sites the informal resident's plot is allocated and public spaces that have been affected by invasion in Phase 1.InPhase 2, the affected plots are about 65, these include public spaces and the total number of the affected plots is 108, which constitutes 13% of the layout. The study area is not fully developed as yet, and both informal and formal allottees continue to be built within it.
5.5.1.2 Phase 1
Phase 1 is the dome shaped part ofthe study area, which is bounded by a deep purple line. While there are low-cost buildings, Phase 1 is dominated by high-cost buildings (plate 2 pp. 64).
• Roads
Three major collector roads link it to the national road (Main South 1). The 2-collector roads that are seen on either end are 20m wide and form a loop. From the western side is the first collector that runs for a distance of 560m, north - east. The second one, which is on the eastern side stretches 340m long and divides the school and cemetery located south - east of the area.
The third road is located a bit towards the centre, but more to the western part of the area, it is 10m wide and forms a skewed "Y" junction as one proceeds upwards to the centre of the area.
From the original point, it is 550m long (south - east) and 280m long (south - west) where it joins the first connector road.Inaddition there are local roads and cul-de-sacs that are not longer than 200m long and are between 5m and 10m wide (see Map 2)
• Natural Features
A large part of the area is relatively flat particularly the southern and central parts, but moving further north, west and east, it rises with gentle and then relatively steep slopes. A donga that emerges from the eastern side and goes into the area, runs below the school and the cemetery, thence westward along the residential sites, into the proposed civic and community centre site. It is about 1000m long, 10m -50m plus, wide and it is considered an environmental threat that needs to be stopped by way of growing trees and grass, which can also serve as the area's lungs.
At the top, are woodlands that get more concentrated south - east, they provide a soft aesthetic look and generate fresh air for the area. A river, which is found at Khabisi's stock and poultry farming, north of the Main South 1 Road and south of the donga, south east of the area, is the only man-made feature (see Map 2).
• Residential and Public Spaces
With the exception of Taumane's site, which is (lOOm by 180m) and Khabisi's farming site, residential sites are generally ofthe same size (20m by 3Om). Sites that have been located on the woodlands and on slopes are (50m by lOOm); see the largest three residential sites south - east of the area. Moving away from these sites in an east - west direction, the size drops (20m by 50m), which is still relatively big. After 11 lots of this size, the size becomes normal again (20m by 30m). There are lots, at the bottom centre ofthe area, along the Main South 1, that also measure (20m by 50m). It could be that these lots are allocated informally, like the informal resident's one, which is also located here. Originally, these were subdivided into 30 lots and now there are only 14, this implies that people have ignored the site boundaries and that there are 16 lots short on this part of the area where the most costly housing is located.
Above these sites are 2 open spaces, which are almost surrounded by residential lots. One is facing westward and the other south - eastward, they both measure (50m by lOOm) and are served by cul-de-sacs. The civic and community centre, which adjoins Taumane's site (north), is the biggest site on this part of the study area with a size of 4.2 ha (hectares). Other bigger sites include the primary school (2.6 ha) and the cemetery (1.5 ha) (See Map 2).
5.5.1. 3Phase 2
Phase 2 is bounded by a light purple line and is presently dominated by low cost housing. There is an extensive dispute over land rights and this is even marked by illegal land surveys (see disputed land on Map 3).
• Roads
There is just one major collector road (20m wide), which is also tarred, the rest are local and cul- de-sacs that measure the same as the Phase 1 ones (see Map 3). Phase 2 is generally flat, but slopes down to the south. There are no major dongas within the area, but it lacks aesthetic value because it lacks trees.
• Social Facilities
The area has been provided with three open spaces, two of which are of the same size with the ones in Phase 1 and one that measures 60m by 120m. The two open spaces are located near the school site and are facing south. They are also surrounded by residential areas and are served by local roads. The school site is served by the tarred collector road, which also connects it to a civic and community centre on the eastern side. There is also a creche (the triangular shaped site) that adjoins the civic and community centre. At the far right, bottom of the area, is a cemetery site and as one throws an eye (from the cemetery) top right, is a site for town housing.
On average, residential sites measure (20m by 30m) and only a few measures (20m by 20m).
There are also 20 business plots of size(1Om by 30m).
5.5.2 The Current Situation
The plan described above has been interfered with and this is felt more in Phase 1 where there are relatively more developments than in Phase 2 where alterations can easily be done. Map 3 clearly reveals that, there are problem areas across the study area. There are two types of informal settlers in the study area. There are those who do not hold any title to the land in question, and those who do (backdated Form Cs and illegal leases). Not all of the informal settlers are located haphazardly; there are some like the informal resident who was interviewed
,
who are settled in accordance to the plan. As can be observed from the maps, the invading structures are impeding on different parts of the area in various ways and are thus having
different impact on the plan. In some cases the impact is greater than in other cases. The effects of invasion are categorised as follows:
~ No access to individual lots;
~ Limited access to vehicular movement;
~ Subdivision of open spaces, a school site and a cemetery; and,
~ Affected infrastructure by informal buildings.
On Map3, problem areas in the study area are marked with black circles and rectangles. Some of these problems are shown on plates below.
Plate 6 shows blocked access to a residential Lot. Here one has to go through another's property in order to gain access to his property
Plate 7 shows limited access to vehicular movement
Plate 8 shows an informal houseinthe middle of an earth road. The poles indicate a line beyond which, on the right, no structure should have been erected
Plate 9 shows an informal house, which is imposing on electrical poles and cables